Amid the heady fragrance of purple and white lilac and bouquets of blossoming pink peonies sold on every street corner of this sprawling capital during early summer, comes the highly anticipated opening of Raffles Europejski Warsaw.
Bringing over 160 years of history and heritage to the culturally rich Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand, this fully restored Polish icon joins Paris and Istanbul as the third European destination where the inimitable Raffles experience can be found.
Dating back to 1857, the neo-renaissance palace built by Enrico Marconi and renowned as a Grand Dame of European hotels during the 19th century, has been, over the last four years, painstakingly restored to its pre-war glory.
Proudly Polish, the elegant interiors showcase the very best of modern and contemporary Polish art, with a carefully curated Hotel Europejski collection by Anda Rottenberg, a former director of the Zachęta National Gallery of Art.
The Hotel Europejski Art Collection consists of almost 500 artworks created by more than 120 artists, including the legend of Polish avant-garde Tadeusz Kantor, and the most important representatives of contemporary Polish art such as Wilhelm Sasnal, Monika Sosnowska or Turner Prize nominee Goshka Macuga.
The 106 rooms and suites are classically stylish with blackened oak floors, contemporary Polish art, a corner library and sleek marble-clad bathrooms with Art Deco touches.
But the jewel in the crown is the presidential suite, spread over a magnificent 293 square metres, and home to a 19th century piano, a reminder that this room was once host to recitals and piano concerts in another chapter of its rich history.
The Hotel Europejski was returned to its rightful pre-war owners in 2005, and Julien Barbotin-Larrieu, representing the owning company, HESA., explained their choice of Raffles to manage the property: “With Raffles at the helm of the hotel, a brand synonymous with heritage and luxury, whose own illustrious history began just thirty years after the Europejski’s with the iconic Raffles Singapore, we feel confident about bringing a new level of luxury to Warsaw; one that is as much about the cultural experience as the comfort.
“Our aim is to provide a real sense of place, allowing guests to understand the soul of Poland by immersing themselves in the art, the gastronomy and the history which they will be surrounded with, on a level as yet unsurpassed in the capital.”
Raffles Europejski Warsaw joins 11 Raffles Hotels & Resorts around the world as well as hotels under development such as Raffles London, Raffles Boston Back Bay and Raffles The Palm Dubai.
The remarkable collection of charming luxury hotels and resorts is located in many of the world’s most attractive cities and leisure destinations such as Paris, Istanbul and the Seychelles.
Raffles properties feature distinct amenities including the Raffles Butler Service, Raffles Spa, Raffles Long Bar and Raffles Writers Bar.